Fence-post.



M. 'E. JOHNSON.

FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1912.

1,070,261.- Patented Aug. 12,1913.

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UNITED STATES Parana HQFFIQE.

MOSES E. JOHNSON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENCE-POST.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MosEsE. JOHNSON, a citizen of the-United S tates, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPenns'ylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a fence post.

of sheet metal construction, one object of the present invention being to provide a compost against upward and downward strains,

as well as longitudinal strains.

With these objects in View and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the postshowing the wire retaining lugs in outstanding or open position. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line SS, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is aivertical section through a portion of the post showing one set of lugs open and,another setof lugs closed over a fence Wire. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the post showing a modified arrangement of lugs. Figs. 5 and 6 are front and perspective views, respectively, of a portion of the post showing the modified'lugs closed and retaining a fence wire. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a post showing another arrangement of wire-holding lugs, r

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts through- 1 out the views.

metal of suitable gage, and is of such Specification of Letters Patent.

\ Patented Aug.12,1913.

Application filed November. 25, 1912. Serial No. 733,485.

a slight taper or convergence upwardly throughout the major portion of its length, say, to a foot from the lower end, and from this point the lower or base portion will taper in a reverse direction as shown in Fig. 7. The upper or major portion of the post may be, if. desired, non-tapering.-

The blank is formed in any sultable manner so that the lateral edges of the blank "meet and form a seam or joint 3, Fig. 1, ex-

tending throughout the length of the post,

and in transverse cross-section the post is circular at every point. In imparting this curvature to the blank, the metal, of course, must be drawn in theregion of the widest portion of the blank, so that the downwardly-tapering base portion 4 of the post will be coaxial with the upper portion.5. Obviously, the post will be hollow throughout its length and the bottom and top are open.

The fence wires are fastened to the post teners, as integral lugs are employed for this purpose. .For each'wir'e, a pair of lugs 9 and 10 are stamped out of the metal of which the post is made, onejlug extending downwardly and the other lug extending up wardly, so thatthe Wire will be embraced by two lugs, thereby effectively holding the wire against both an upward and downward strain, and at the sides of the lugs are deep depressions 11 that form seats for the wire to cooperate with the lugs for resisting upward and downward strain and also for forming shoulders against which a bight or kink in the wire bears'to prevent longitudinal movement of the wire, said bight or kink being formed by theforcing of the lugs or tongues 9 or 10 into wire-embracing position, as will be clearly shown in Fig. 2. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the lugs 9 and 10 are rectangular in shape and are'formed by the making of two parallel slits 12 and a transverse slit 13 in the metal of which the post is made. These slits may be formed while the blank is flat, or after the blank is partially curved, the forming of the slits being 10 are bent backwardly over the wire, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. 1n forcing the lugs or tongues 9 and 10 to closed position or into engagement with the wire 15, a bight or kink 16 is imparted to the wire, which, by engagement with the seats or depressions 11 and the lugs 9 and 10, prevents longitudinal movement of the wire, as will be evident from Figs. 2 and 3, which also show the lugs 9 and 10 approximately flush with the eX- ternal surface of the post.

Instead of having the lugs separated on a transverse line, they may be separated obliquely to form. lugs 9 and 10, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. In this case, the lugs, when closed down will embrace more of the wire, the apexes 12 being bent inwardly to engage the wire.

Another arrangement of lugs is shown in Fig. 7, wherein the lugs 17 and 1'? are formed between spaced holes 18 and 19 punched in the metal of the post and a slit 20 extending from the top of one hole to the bottom of the other hole in approximately tangential relation, and depressions or seats 21 are formed laterally of each hole or at the outside thereof. Before the wire is applied, the lugs 17 and 17 are outstanding, as shown at b, Fig. 7, so that the wire can be placed in between the lugs and engaged with the seats 21. The lugs 16 and 17 are then bent over the wire to closed position, as shown at c, Fig. 7. It will thus be seen that in the various arrangements of lugs, the wire is retained in place with twice the holding power of those fence posts having only single lugs for each wire, and the depressions or seats at the lateral edges of the lugs are also important in assisting in holding the wire against displacement under downward or upward strains. Furthermore, the depressions or seats cooperate with the lugs to form the bight or kink in the wire where it is engaged with the post, so that longitudinal slipping is prevented.

novonei From the foregoing description, taken in. connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, 1 desire to have it-understood that the devi e shown is merely-illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention, what 1 claim as new, is

1. A tubular fence post having a pair of wire retaining bendable lugs, one lug ex tending downwardly and the other lug upwardly and both arranged in the same vertical plane, depressions being formed in the curved wall of the post and at the sides of the lugs forming wire engaging seats, both of said lugs engaging the wire to hold the same in its seat.

2. The combination of a tubular fence post, with a wire, said post having spaced depressions forming wire engaging seats, and lugs extending respectively downwardly and upwardly over the wire and located in vertical alinement between the said depressions, the wire being formed into a bight or kink under the lugs by the forcing of the latter into wire holding position, saidbight engaging with the edges of the seats and lugs for preventing longitudinal slipping of the wire, and the said seats and lugs cooperating to resist upward and downward strain on the wire.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MOSES E. JUllNSUN.

Witnesses:

Ennanor. M. "Boo'rn, CORA M. SAWvEns. 

